I have always wanted to make some homemade Sauerkraut, just never got around to learning how to make it. I picked up this book a few months ago called the "Art of Fermentation" and in it I found out how easy it is to make Kraut. I made 2 batch so far and the first one is gone already. The second one is still aging and should last me most of the Winter, unless I give it away too like the first batch and everybody loved it.

Anyway here is a simple way to make it, any space faring race should love it.

Cut up your Cabbage anyway you like it, about like you would for Slaw but how ever you like it.then find a container that is large enough to hold it all. First batch I made I put into a large clear glass Vase which held about 2 gal of water, I filled it up too much and when it was fermenting it over flowed. For the second batch I am using a 5 gal food grade bucket which seems to be working a lot better. I put about 5 heads of cabbage into this batch. The book says you can use just about anything you what that can be cleaned and hold all of your kraut you are making. Start with a small batch like I did, make sure you leave 4 or 5" of space above the level of the Cabbage, so it will not over flow.

After you cut up your Cabbage you need to burse it some (this means be rough with it beat on it some) and add some salt to it to help pull out the water from the Cabbage and to help it ferment better. Depending on how salty you like your food you can add a little or a lot, try not to add too much you can use regular table salt(non Iodized) or I use Sea Salt and I try not to add to much because of my Heart problems.

Once you have your Cabbage bruised and salted to taste you then place it in the container and then you will need a lid of some kind this is placed right on the top of the cabbage not the top of the container and a weight to hold down the kraut to keep it below the water line of your container.I work in a food plant and had access to some food grade buckets and on my 2nd batch I just took two 5 gal buckets and cut one down to about 5" from the bottom and then put my kraut in the first bucket and placed the bottom part of the bucket on top of the cabbage and then placed a 1 gal jug of water on top of it. This holds all of the cabbage down and out of the air.

Then place it in a cool spot in your house and place a cloth over it to keep the bugs out of it. Let it age for a few weeks, check on it once in awhile and when you think you want to try it go for it. (note you may find a little mold on or around the lid you use, just skim it off and remove it.) Just because you get some mold dose not mean its gone bad. When you think its aged to your liking you can place it into jars and place it into your refrigerator and enjoy it for a long time. you can find out more about it by going to http://www.wildfermentation.com/ you will learn a lot more there then I could every tell you here.

Again I just posted this to help anybody else that has ever wanted to give making Kraut a try and thought it would be hard or unsafe to try it on your own, the book and the website both say nobody has ever died from making and eating there own kraut. You just have to make sure everything is clean and it will make its self. Boy was that Kraut and Sausage good.